At the end of this term, you will be receiving your child’s report for their first semester of learning. In the report, you will notice that they have been given an effort grade for their Approaches to Learning. Within the IB Programs, the Approaches to Learning (ATLs) act like a bridge that connect students’ conceptual understandings (ideas about learning) to the curriculum (what they are learning). The ATLs are grounded in the belief that learning how to learn is essential to a child’s education, as it equips them with the skills to learn in any context. In short- the ATLs help to build lifelong learners.

Through a variety of strategies, teachers plan opportunities to develop the students’ ATLs. These skills help students to become self-regulated learners who know how to ask good questions, set effective goals, and pursue their aspirations with the determination to achieve them. There are five categories within the ATLs, as shown in the image below. Students regularly reflect on them and discuss ways that they can improve their learning by applying the different skills.